Homebrew Canishu Species Details

There has never been a people that could so easily trick us out of house and home if they had the mind or desire to do so. The Canishu are a merry and charasmatic people whose generous hospitality is second only to that of haflings, although their cooking is just as good (if not better!). 

— Günter Haas, "On the Faces of the Fauntastical People" 

 

Canishu are hearty folks created long-ago by Bou, a canine goddess of creation and healing. They spend their lives spreading joy and mirth to all they meet, their wagons and caravans welcomes sights to all who need a little love and joy across the wilds and in the cities of Faerun. Canishu love nature, medicine, art and artistry, good music good food, and better company. If you are looking for hospitality, look no further than the campfires of Canishu packs. 

Hind Leg Heroes 

Canishu bare a strikingly close resemblance to many of the canines that humans and members of other races keep as pets. For this reason, they tend to be seen as naturally trustworthy and are often considered aesthetically pleasing. They come in all shapes and sizes and can range between the heights of 3 feet at their smallest and to just over 6 feet at their tallest. Their weight varies as widely as their height, with diet affecting their general build. 

Most Canishu are covered head to toe in fur, of various colours and lengths that one might expect to see in a canine. Clothing preferences depend primarily on the individual and the unique cultural traditions of their packs (see "cultural variants") 

You've Got a Friend in Me

Canishu can live well over 700 years, giving them a broad perspective on events that might trouble the shorter-lived races more deeply. Where elves are slow to make friends however, a Canisho takes great pleasure in making fast friends with almost all they meet. The Canishu don't hold the same reservations that elves do when it comes to familiarity, they don't need the same length of time to fall in love with the laugh of a human companion, the strength of a half-orc traveller, or the perplexed smile of a tabaxi merchant. 

Canishu love fiercely and deeply and trust comes easy. This makes many canishu loyal and loving travel companions, although this inclination towards trust can sometimes get a young canisho into sticky situations. 

Home on the Range

Canishu are a nomadic people and tend to travel in large extended-family groups or "packs" across the kingdoms and empires of the world. These groups often consist of two or three separate families, their children, grandchildren, cousins, aunts, uncles, and other such familial relations. They can typically be found driving large Conestoga wagons across plains and countrysides, travelling on the backs of llamas and pack animals in mountainous peaks and hillsides, or sailing the open waters on houseboats and fishing vessels in the tropics. Wherever a Canisho roams, they make it their home.  

To find partners or to gain knowledge and friendship outside the pack, young Canishu typically leave their pack to travel and adventure on their own. These quests of self-discovery are common and considered a rite of passage for most Canishu packs. Canishu typically start their journey's on their 50th birthday, but each pack has their own traditions. Their quests can last 100 to 200 years before they return to their packs or join new ones. 

Some expectations exist, where a particularly solitary Canisho may spend their entire life in a single human city their entire life, preferring to watch the world change around them than to seek change in other locales. 

 

The Canishu live long lives and spend as much of it as possible trying to make friends of all kinds. For a Canishu, a life not spent learning about other's cultures is a life tremendously wasted.Canishu often trade goods and services with other folks in human cities but also tend to be welcomed in rural areas due to their warm hospitality and excellent hardy cooking. Nothing warms you up on a cold night like a Canish stew and a warm slice of buttered bread. 

Elves. “Elves may live as longs as us Canishu, but they spend so much time away from other folks that it seems they often deprive themselves of all the pleasures that a life filled with friendships can bring.”

Harengons. “Harengons make the best sparring partners! There's nothing like a good romp with those spring-footed folk!" 

Humans. “Humans tend to be fond of the Canishu, but sometimes they forget that even the smallest of us tends to have a century or two over them." 

Canishu Names

Canishu naming conventions are similar to those of humans, with newborn Canishu being given a first name by their pack while also carrying a pack or "clan name" to distinguish which group they live and travel with.  Canishu also have chosen names they gain during their rites of passage which typically commemorate an important moment or an area of expertise. Some particularly well-travelled Canishu will also be given fourth and even fifth names by members of other races with whom they form deep bonds. It is not uncommon to meet a Canishu with a human middle name or an affectionate elvish moniker. 

Male Names: Charlie, Max, Cooper, Milo, Rocky, Buster, Tramp, Jack, Winston, Teddy, Fritz, Arno

Female Names: Bella, Luna, Daisy, Zoey, Piper, Bailey, Stella, Ginger, Lady, Juno, Duchess, Ruby, Pippa 

Androgynous Names: Bingo, Dixie, Nova, Coco, Lucky, Chili, Bandit, Scout, Ace, Pochi

Chosen Names and Nicknames: Hunter, Fisher, Dancer, Swimmer, Laugher, Sharp-shooter, Wound-healer, Axe-thrower, Meal-Burner

Pack (Clan) Names: wīlər (Wiler), SHepərd (Shepherd), kälē (Collie), terēər (Terrier), do͞od(ə)l (Doddle), bo͝olē (Bully); mastəf (Mastiff)

Cultural Variants 

Choose One (Gain Additional Proficiencies) 

Mountain Dwelling 

Skills: Animal Handling

Tools: Weaver's Tools 

Plain Dwelling 

Mounts and Vehicles: Drawn Vehicles (Land)

Tools:  Leatherworker's tools 

Sea Fairing

Mounts and Vehicles: Vehicles (Sea)

Tools: Navigator's Tools

City Dwelling (Solitary)  

Skills: Insight 

Tools: Gaming set of your choice

Canishu Traits

Your Canishu character has a naturally keen senses and face everyone and their mother will love.

Ability Score Increase

Your ability score in Charisma increases by 2. Your ability score in dexterity increases by 1. 

Stomach of Steel

With a superior gut, you can eat almost anything, even spoiled foods that would normally sicken other less hardy folks. You can add your proficiency bonus to any Constitution saving throws and are immune to poison damage. 

Age

Canishu reach maturity around the same age as humans but live approximately seven times longer. The oldest Canisho can live to be about 850 but the average lifespan for Canisho is around 750 years. 

Size

Canishu range from 3 feet to over 6 feet tall. Your size is small or medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Possessing canine-like eyes. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern colour in darkness, only shades of gray.

Sniff them Out

Like the common canines they resemble, the Canishu have exceptionally keen senses. This comes in handy for sniffing out poisons that might harm party members or sniffing out an enemy nearby. Your DM may ask for an additional investigation check to identify the smell in question in the case that your Canisho has not encountered the smell in the past. 

You gain +4 to your perception modifier on all perception checks involving smell. The Range for this trait is 120ft. A Canisho cannot smell through solid walls unless there is a gap of at least 2cm. 

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and read and write Canish (KāniSH). Canish is written as phonetic common.